The present invention relates to a tubular connection, and more particularly the present invention relates to a tubular connection for connecting a dispensing valve to a flexible plastics bag, which may be laminated, adapted to contain a liquid, such as wine or beer, to enable the dispensing to be utilised to dispense the liquid from the container.
It has been proposed to utilise flexible plastic bags, for example bags of laminated plastic film or bags of laminated metalised plastic film, to hold liquids, such as wine, the bags being retained in a suitable container such as a cardboard box or a tube, the bag also being provided with a dispensing valve or tap to facilitate the dispensing of liquids from the bags.
To facilitate the manufacture of the bags and the associated valves it has been proposed to manufacture the bags with a protruding tubular sleeve which communicates with the interior of the bag. It has been proposed previously to slidably insert a tubular part of a valve into the sleeve so that a friction fit is created which retains the valve in position.
It has been found that this construction can lead to problems, especially if there is repeated operation of the dispensing valve, which can increase the possibility of the dispensing valve being separated from the sleeve. Also, it has been found that if a bag of the above-described prior proposed type is utilised with a carbonated beverage or a fermenting liquid, the pressure created within the bag tends to push the dispensing valve out of the sleeve. This problem arises particularly if the containers are shaken, or if they are left to become warm.